Michigan State's Jack Velling Wanted No Regrets With Transfer Decision

Michigan State tight end Jack Velling felt he would be better off staying with the coaches who got him where he is.

Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans tight end Jack Velling speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Jack Velling had an important decision to make when he entered the transfer portal last December.

The former Oregon State tight end had several options -- stay with the Beavers, follow Jonathan Smith to Michigan State, or start fresh with a completely new staff at a new program.

Ultimately, whatever Velling decided on, he wanted to be sure it was the right choice.

"Right when it happened, I was, oh, I didn't know," the Spartan tight end said at Big Ten Football Media Days on Wednesday. "I didn't know what I was going to do. And kind of the more I thought about it, I thought that if I had stayed or if I went somewhere else, I would be always looking back and thinking, 'Wow, what if I went there?' So, I thought, 'Why would I ever want to think that?' And just keep staying with the coaches and a tight ends coach [Brian Wozniak] and offensive coordinator [Brian Lindgren] that have kind of gotten me to where I am and just try to stack another year on top of it."

Coach Wozniak discussed back in the spring what it meant to him that Velling followed him to East Lansing from Corvallis.

"It's great," Wozniak said. "I think in coaching, everyone has a different approach, but the connection with players is always important. Having a deep enough rooted connection for him [Velling] to be interested in coming out here and being away from home is awesome. Trust in his parents, trust in him for moving to Michigan, that's awesome. At the same time, I gave him the same tone, we're coming out here to work, get better and improve. Not only individually but as a team. That's the kind of guy who buys in and makes it easier for me."

Smith and his staff at Oregon State helped develop Velling into one of the top tight ends in the Pac-12. Now, he is projected by many to be one of the best in the entire country.

Velling is also back with quarterback Aidan Chiles and offensive lineman Tanner Miller, who also transferred from Oregon State to Michigan State.

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